Page No 22:

Question 1:

(i) Which of these statements is not a valid reason for the depletion of flora and fauna?

(a) Agricultural expansion

(b) Large scale developmental projects

(c) Grazing and fuel wood collection

(d) Rapid industrialisation and urbanisation

(ii) Which of the following conservation strategies do not directly involve community participation?

(a) Joint forest management

(b) Beej Bachao Andolan

(c) Chipko Movement

(d) Demarcation of Wildlife sanctuaries

Answer:

(i) (c) Grazing and fuel wood collection

(ii) (d) Demarcation of Wildlife sanctuaries

Page No 22:

Question 2:

Match the following animals with their category of existence.

Animals/Plants

Category of existence

Black buck

Extinct

Asiatic elephant

Rare

Andaman wild pig

Endangered

Himalayan brown bear

Vulnerable

Pink head duck

Endemic

Answer:

Animals/Plants

Category of existence

Black buck

Endangered

Asiatic elephant

Vulnerable

Andaman wild pig

Endemic

Himalayan brown bear

Rare

Pink head duck

Extinct

Page No 22:

Question 3:

Match the following.

Reserved forests

other forests and wastelands belonging to both government and private individuals and communities

Protected forests

forests are regarded as most valuable as far as the conservation of forest and wildlife resources

Unclassed forests

forest lands are protected from any further depletion

Answer:

Reserved forests

forests are regarded as most valuable as far as the conservation of forest and wildlife resources

Protected forests

forest lands are protected from any further depletion

Unclassed forests

other forests and wastelands belonging to both government and private individuals and communities

Page No 22:

Question 4:

Answer
the following questions in about 30 words.

(i) What
is biodiversity? Why is biodiversity important for human lives?

(ii) How
have human activities affected the depletion of flora and fauna?
Explain.

Answer:

(i) Biodiversity is the variation of wildlife and cultivated species in a given ecosystem. In this interconnected web, each organism is a producer, consumer or decomposer. Other organisms, including humans, depend for their existence on such roles.

(ii) Human activities such as poaching, deforestation, the expansion of railways, agriculture, commercial and scientific forestry, and mining are to blame for the depletion of flora and fauna.

Page No 22:

Question 5:

Answer
the following questions in about 120 words.

(i) Describe how communities have
conserved and protected forests and wildlife in India.

(ii) Write
a note on good practices towards conserving forest and wildlife.

Answer:

(i) Indian forests are home to different communities. These communities have a complex relationship with their environment. The Mundas and the Santhal of Chhota Nagpur region worship Mahua and Kadamba trees; the tribals of Orissa and Bihar worship the tamarind and mango trees. Similarly, the Bishnois of Rajasthan hold the antelopes in high reverence. For these communities, particular flora and fauna are integral to their identity, so they take a number of steps to protect the same. Villagers around the Sariska Reserve have opposed mining activities in the region as these activities endanger wildlife. Villagers in the Alwar district of Rajasthan have banned hunting and lumbering activities in a 1200 hectare area they have marked as Bhairodev Dakav ‘Sonchuri’. Such activities have helped preserve patches of virgin forest land.

(ii) Good practices towards conserving forest and wildlife are plenty. Nowadays, many non-governmental organisations are working towards creating public awareness for conserving depleting forest cover and vanishing wildlife. Central and state governments in India have set up national parks and wildlife sanctuaries to protect forests and endangered species in wildlife. A recently developing practice towards conservation is the search for different conservation measures. Biodiversity is the new by-word of good practices towards conserving forest and wildlife. Various communities, especially in tribal areas, who are dependent on forests for their living are now taking an active role in this form of conservation.